No one understands the laws of Collider better than me.

"However, this was found in the furnace that had already cooled down at the scene."

Kitahara Masaki looked at the charred evidence and said:

"This is a voice recorder. But it's been burned out, and the data inside can't be recovered. Have you thoroughly checked the surrounding surveillance footage?"

“Yes! Kitahara-senpai, I checked the port area's surveillance footage and found that after the victim entered this area, a Toyota with an unreadable license plate drove into the area where the victim is now, and then left in less than ten minutes. However, the port area is some distance from the city center and there are no surveillance cameras, so it is difficult to determine the whereabouts of the murderer.”

"So the development of the matter is now very clear: the victim blackmailed the murderer using the contents of the recording pen, and as a result, he was beaten to death by the murderer. The most urgent task now is to determine the identity of the deceased."

Kitahara Masaki naturally wouldn't wait for the forensic doctor to determine the DNA in his teeth. Instead, he took several photos of him and sent them to Ai Haibara, asking her to help identify the deceased.

Not long after, the phone rang.

"Hey, Haibara, so fast? Is this guy some kind of celebrity?"

"Masaki, it's me! And he's not a celebrity!"

"Professor Agasa...do you know the deceased?"

"Yes! He's the one I found among the group of PhDs. I commissioned him to process the audioprints in the videos!"

Kitahara Masaki's expression contorted in half a second, then returned to normal in the same second. Even as an adult, one must time one's emotional breakdowns precisely.

"Tell me everything about this person."

“Okay, okay! Here’s what happened. Yesterday, I asked in the chat group if anyone could process the voiceprint of a video a child filmed. I also mentioned that it might involve a crime and asked them to hand it over to the police as soon as they could process it. Then, Mr. Amano Noriyuki, the man who was murdered, said he had the means and equipment to extract a clear voiceprint. Without thinking much about it, I gave him the video. I never expected that he would die in less than three days!”

Yes, this idiot probably found some incredible clue in the video, so he got greedy and wanted to make a fortune through blackmail. As a result, he messed with the wrong person.

Using the name given by the doctor—Amano Noriyuki—Kitahara Masaki quickly found his address. By the time the police arrived, his house had clearly been ransacked, and since his residence was in a rather chaotic area, there was no CCTV footage.

The most valuable thing in Noriyuki Amano's home is his computer equipment. His tatami mats are already yellowed and moldy, but he refuses to replace them. It's estimated that he has spent all his money on this set of dining utensils.

"Sigh, we're too late. The murderer took all of the victim's personal belongings that could identify her, and then even came to the victim's house to search. That video clearly contains something shady... Professor Agasa, do you have a backup of that video?"

"Ah, I figured Mitsuhiko would have that video on his phone, so I didn't back it up after sending it to Mr. Amano. Oh, right,"

Upon hearing this, Kitahara Masaki looked at the computer tower in Amano Noriyuki's room that had been smashed to pieces, rushed out, and immediately drove to Mitsuhiko's house.

Sure enough, they ran into three masked men who were trying to climb over the wall.

Chapter 195 The Amnesiac Old Man

"What do you want to do!"

"Police! Get down here right now!"

The police behind him were thinking of shouting a few words to boost their morale, but unexpectedly, Kitahara Masaki stepped on the roof of the car and leaped forward. Without saying a word, he swung his fist and smashed it into the head of one of the masked men.

The masked man skillfully deflected Kitahara Masaki's fist, and the two exchanged three kicks in mid-air. The recoil caused the masked man to stagger back several steps, but he also took advantage of the moment to escape, his speed surprising even the police who were now just background figures.

"What are you waiting for! Go after them!"

Kitahara Masaki did not pursue them, because it was still unknown how many people were on the other side, and if it was a diversionary tactic, it would be troublesome.

After taking Mitsuhiko and his family to the safe house, Mitsuhiko's sister suddenly said:

“Officer Kitahara, Mitsuhiko told us that he filmed a video in the park that might be related to a crime. The next day, the church where I volunteered suddenly took in an old man. According to Mr. Kenjiro Minato, who brought him back, that old man was the one he found in the park! It was also at night. He said he brought the old man back to the church because he saw that the old man was dressed too lightly.”

"So, on the night Mitsuhiko filmed the video, an elderly man who was also in the park was taken back to the church you've been helping. What was that elderly man's name?"

"Well, that's the problem. The old man seems to have hit his head somewhere, and now he has amnesia; he can't even remember his own name."

Kitahara Masaki pondered the situation carefully and realized that everything was connected. First, there was the old man who hit his head and suffered amnesia; then Mitsuhiko filmed the incident; next, the person who recovered the voiceprint from the video tried to blackmail him but was murdered. Now, it's about dealing with the remaining Mitsuhiko…

And Conan too!

Kitahara Masaki suddenly remembered that he always rubbed his head and never really thought of him as a brat, but now things had become complicated. The two people who were filmed had probably hired assassins at a high price. This was no longer a situation where he could continue to relax.

What bothered him most was that Conan's phone had been taken away. Even Kitahara Masaki hadn't expected that one day he wouldn't be able to contact him because of a problem with his phone. So he only added 'Edogawa Conan's' number and didn't add Kazuto Shinichi's number.

"Hey! Ai! Where did Conan go?"

“Yesterday he heard Mitsuhiko talk about an old man who got lost in the park, and today he went to the church by himself to find the old man.”

Damn it!

Kitahara Masaki jumped back into the driver's seat and headed towards the church. When he arrived, thankfully it wasn't too late. More guards had already been deployed to watch over Professor Agasa's house and the Mouri Detective Agency. To unravel the beginning of this series of events, he had to figure out who this old man really was.

Upon seeing Conan and an old man sitting on a church pew, seemingly performing a worship service, Kitahara Masaki playfully tapped Conan on the head, interrupting his observation of the old man, and said directly:

"Mitsuhiko's family was attacked by assassins. Since you obtained such important information yesterday, why didn't you tell me?"

"Um—my phone was taken, and I didn't find out until evening. I figured I could just come over first thing tomorrow morning and get to the bottom of things, so I forgot to tell you. Also, is Mitsuhiko alright?"

"Of course he's fine. I think you probably also felt that the two people in the video weren't anything serious, since they seemed so furious about being secretly filmed by a child, and you didn't see anything that looked like a corpse, so you didn't think it was a big deal, right?"

"Hey, Kitahara-nii, you think so too, right!"

Kitahara Masaki sighed, then explained the seriousness of the situation to him, and asked:

"Who exactly is this old man? Why is he in that park? And why did he suffer from amnesia after hitting his head?"

"Ah! That's what I was just about to tell you. I noticed that this old man's trousers and shirt were from high-end brands, but his coat and shoes were cheap. I also found out that after he came to this church, he insisted on having buckwheat noodles for lunch, so the church staff ordered takeout for him, but it wasn't to his liking. All of this shows that he must be a person in a high position, pampered and spoiled, with a very high sense of self-esteem. But when the church needed help, he was very diligent. Also, when he chatted with people who also needed assistance, the words he used proved that he was highly educated."

Kitahara Masaki showed the church director the police handbook, then asked her to call the person who had brought the old man back.

“I’m glad the old man is a good person, but the most important thing now is to identify him so I can understand why the two men in the video wanted to do something to him.”

"I think the gentleman I'm going to see next should know something. Even though the people here are supposed to be quite poor, he bought a new cell phone yesterday. But because of my current state, even if I ask him, he just stammers and then chases me away with the excuse that a child wouldn't know anything."

I see……

Upon seeing the middle-aged man who had brought the old man back to the church, Kitahara Masaki spoke to him with an overwhelming sense of pressure:

“Mr. Minato Ken-xiong, I hope you don’t have any illusions. Even a child could notice that someone like you, who needs help from the church, bought a new cell phone. Do you think we police wouldn’t notice? That old man’s coat, shoes, and watch were probably all sold off at some stolen goods dealer, which is why you were able to get a huge sum of money and buy yourself so many new things—”

The middle-aged man couldn't hide anything at all. Under Kitahara Masaki's interrogation, he confessed everything. However, even if he hadn't confessed, Kitahara Masaki would have quickly produced evidence of his receiving stolen goods and presented it to him, forcing him to admit his crimes.

"Here's what happened. Yesterday, when I was in the park collecting some scraps, I saw that strange old man. He was wearing designer clothes, but he seemed to have a head injury, so I thought I'd take him to the hospital. But I didn't have any money. So, I figured it wouldn't be a problem to sell his things and then take him to the doctor, officer. Look—this is the medication the hospital prescribed, it's all recorded on it. I actually took him to the hospital, and they said that although his injuries weren't serious and he didn't need to be hospitalized, the impact had caused him amnesia..."

"So that's why you brought him back, right?"

"Yes. By the way, this is his phone. It's the only thing that can prove his identity, so I kept it. But I don't know the password, and then he lost his memory, so it's still locked."

Kitahara Masaki took the phone. Even if he didn't know the password, it wouldn't be a problem. The most important thing was that he had something to prove his identity. As a police officer, finding out his true identity after this would be a piece of cake.

Chapter 196 Why is he still alive?

Kitahara Maki, sensing that things weren't simple, sent the information he wanted to know to Haibara, asking her to help him find it.

Soon, GPS tracking revealed that Amano Noriyuki had made the call from a phone booth. He was likely afraid of leaving a trace using his own phone, so he used a public phone. The call went to the campaign office of Representative Nenoda Shigeaki. Therefore, it was confirmed that one of the men in the video was likely Nenoda Shigeaki. Coincidentally, Kitahara Masaki had seen this representative three days prior in a VIP room of a high-end Western restaurant, where the representative had opened the door to another guest, allowing Kitahara Masaki to witness the encounter…

The detailed information on the phone's battery indicates that the phone was sold to a man named Yanagi Kagehiro, who, after a search of his name, is revealed to be a judge at the Supreme Court of Japan.

Looking at the text message Haibara sent back, Kitahara Masaki finally understood why they had even hired a well-trained assassin—it was to conceal this fact.

Three days prior, Shigeaki Nōda likely went to the park to meet the other man in the video after finishing his meal, and their argument was filmed by Mitsuhiko...

Thinking of this, Kitahara Masaki looked at the old man still sitting on the church pew and immediately understood everything. The banquet that Shigeaki Ada hosted that day must have had a third person involved. This third person should be Yanagi Kagehiro, but for some reason, a conflict occurred, causing Yanagi Kagehiro to hit his head. And the person who had the conflict with this judge should be the other man in the video.

"Ah—this didn't involve any murder methods; it was just the senator killing someone to cover it up."

Conan, having also figured things out, immediately lost interest. However, Kitahara Masaki thought of a way to gain the respect of everyone in the Metropolitan Police Department—by personally arresting a politician with a family legacy. This way, no one would think he was unworthy of the position of supervisor, and he would also have a prestigious reputation when recruiting talent later.

"Brother Kitahara, I have a feeling you're thinking about something bad again."

"Kid, this is how the adult world is, and it feels so good to scheme against others."

After finalizing the plan, Kitahara Masaki approached the old man and told him his name and position. The old man, who was only temporarily suffering from amnesia, quickly remembered his own affairs and the events of three days prior.

"Ahem, Judge Liu Jing, it seems you've remembered everything. Well then, I won't stand on ceremony. Please tell me what exactly happened three days ago."

Upon recognizing the young man as the police officer, the old man recounted the events that had occurred in the park three days prior.

“Three days ago, Shigeaki Nata’s secretary, Kikuchi, came to pick me up for dinner. On the way, Kikuchi suddenly told me that Nobuhiro Fujiwara would also be attending. As one of the judges in his case, how could I attend a dinner with stakeholders? So I asked Kikuchi to stop the car halfway, and then I ran to the park. I thought that guy would know when to back down, but he said that he had to let me go no matter what. During the argument, I hit my head and suffered amnesia.”

Kitahara Masaki nodded, indicating that he fully understood what had happened.

Kikuchi, the secretary of Representative Neneda, probably realized something was wrong when he saw Judge Yanagisuke faint, and even thought he had accidentally run over and killed Judge Yanagisuke. In order not to become a discarded pawn, he probably picked up Representative Neneda and brought him to the park, claiming that the judge only wanted to meet there. This way, Representative Neneda would become a suspect in the police's eyes, and he would definitely be able to handle the matter for him.

Judge Yanagi was taken to the hospital by a passing politician, Kenjiro Minato. When the councilor and his secretary arrived at the park, they discovered the 'body' was missing. A dispute ensued, during which Mitsuhiko filmed it. They then assumed that Noriyuki Amano, who had blackmailed them, had taken the 'body,' so they killed him. While searching for the 'body,' they also planned to deal with Mitsuhiko, who had filmed the incident.

With a change of heart, Kitahara Masaki truthfully told the judge about the events that had taken such a dramatic turn, which greatly shocked the old man and also angered him at the lawless behavior of Representative Nyota.

"No! I have to stop them from doing this immediately. How could they lay a hand on a child? Has Neneda gone mad?!"

"Please don't be so impulsive, Judge Liu Jing. I have a better way to both end this matter and solidify Keita's guilt."

Kitahara Masaki remained expressionless, but Judge Yanagi thought he was laughing maniacally.

Kitahara Masaki first had Judge Yanagishi send a text message to Kikuchi's secretary to tell him that the 'corpse' had come back to life, and also to tell him that he must come alone.

Secretary Kikuchi was well aware that he wasn't killed yet only because he still had Conan's phone, and Representative Natsuta assumed that the phone contained the video Mitsuhiko had taken. Therefore, upon learning that Judge Yanagishi was still alive, Secretary Kikuchi knew he couldn't escape and obediently went alone to the designated location—another safe house of the Metropolitan Police Department—where only Kitahara Masaki was waiting for him.

"You are! Kitahara Masaki! Hahaha, so the police have found out all the stupid things I did? Arrest me quickly! And send me to jail right away! Otherwise, Neneda will definitely kill me!"

"Heh, Secretary Kikuchi, haven't you considered this? With Representative Neneda's influence, a video with only reasonably clear audio isn't enough to get the prosecution to act; more concrete evidence is needed to convict him. Besides, if Representative Neneda doesn't fall from power, wouldn't it be incredibly easy for him to kill you while you're in prison?"

“I know! But what can I do? What can I do? There is absolutely no conversation between my phone and the congressman about this incident. The congressman has been very careful since it happened because I lied to him after it happened. So now he has someone else relay his instructions.”

"In short, your problem right now is that you don't have any evidence, right?"

"Yes!"

Kitahara Masaki pondered for a moment and asked:

"Does the congressman really believe that Judge Liu Jing is dead?"

"Of course, if he knew the judge was still alive, he definitely wouldn't have sent an assassin to eliminate potential witnesses. Instead, he would have quickly found the judge and lied to him that it was all my fault and that I had acted recklessly. After all, after we received the extortion call, the other party said that the body had been disposed of for us and that we only needed ten million in hush money. As a result, Nata had an assassin take me to kill that person and then smashed up that person's house."

It's truly a stroke of luck! As a member of Congress, Ida is still unaware that Judge Yanagi is still alive. He forced Secretary Kikuchi to commit murder so that if the investigation traced back to him, he could push Secretary Kikuchi out of the picture. He probably thought that as long as he cleared himself of all responsibility, that would be enough. Little did he know that only the two people who heard the blackmail call would believe that Judge Yanagi was dead.

The next step is to carry out a scam targeting this congressman.

Chapter 197 Kitahara Masaki, you schemed against me!

Kitahara Masaki handed over the case summary to Odagiri Toshiro, the superintendent of police, who immediately understood that the case could be closed at this point, but the politician who hired the hitman would continue to go unpunished, and in order to catch this politician, they had to take a gamble.

"Inspector Kitahara, when did our Metropolitan Police Department become so hesitant when pursuing justice? Since there's no direct evidence yet to prove the senator's involvement in these events, let's take a gamble. Let's bet that this scheming senator will slip up when he thinks he's won! Go for it, Inspector Kitahara!!!"

Having received permission, Kitahara Masaki looked at Secretary Kikuchi, who had just overheard the Metropolitan Police Department's stance through the loudspeaker, and said: